Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
My film explores the indigenous people of North East, their political status, their struggles of their own existence: National Award winner Manju Borah
Bahattar Hoorain aims to bring about a change in at least one person in the society: Producer Gulab Singh Tanwar
Goa 27.11.2019
Under the Indian Panorama section, IFFI screened the national award winning movie The Land of Poison Women, directed by Manju Borah in Pangchenpa language and Hindi movie Bahattar Hoorain helmed by Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan,
National Award winner Borah, said, “I am very proud my film has been selected in the Indian panorama section at the golden jubilee year of IFFI. Through my films, I have been exploring the indigenous people of North East, their political status, their struggles for their own existence. Northeast has people with around 120 different dialects. I feel India can’t be complete without all these dialects.”, she was speaking at a press conference held at IFFI today in Panaji, Goa.
Shedding light on these remote locations, she said, "People aren’t aware of the location where I shot my film. It is at the India-China border. There are less than 5000 people from a community living there. I truly believe that if one visits that place, one would feel nature is so vast and beautiful."
Shooting this film was physically and financially exhausting for the crew. The Indian Army had to help 'my crew while they were stuck in the middle of the shoot due to heavy snow,' she added.
The directors along with producer Gulab Singh Tanwar of Bahattar Hoorain also spoke about their film at the press conference.
Talking about Bahattar Hoorain, director Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan said, “It is about two people, who are in search of 72 virgins in their after lives. I thank my producer to back such an unconventional subject. I wanted to make a movie like Bahattar Hoorain in the initial phase of my career as director as making movies on such bold and unconventional subject becomes difficult as one settles in career. Though My earlier movie Lahore was banned in Pakistan, I still plan to market this movie in Pakistan, Gulf, basically every country that is victim of terrorism. Since movie uses lot of VFX shots, the post production took quite some time, he added.
Actor of Bahattar Hoorain, Pawan Malhotra shared, “I played a role of a believer in the search of 72 virgins but you need to see the film to experience it. When Sanjay finished narrating the synopsis and I immediately accepted it. However, I have done masala films also but majority of my body of work has been of serious films.”
Producer Gulab Singh Tanwar, said, “I am originally a pilot and run my own aviation agency. I have been passionate about cinema for a long time. I started producing films in 2012 and I was clear that I won’t make films for bread and butter and want to make films those can be remembered. Bahattar Hoorain was a challenging task to make. And the main reason for making this film was to bring about a change in at least one person in the society through this film."
In The Land Of Poison Women
The film is a depiction of an individual's effort to break the myth of 'poison women' in a remote part of Arunachal Pradesh. Thongchi has written the novel in the backdrop of Zemithang region of Tawang district. Besides presenting a story of suspense, the novel portrays a superstitious belief prevalent among the people of that tribe. The movie won the 66th National Award for the best Pangsenpa film.
Bahattar Hoorain :At an extremists training facility, Bilal and Hakim are instructed that if they give their lives in the name of Allah, they will be rewarded with bahattar hoorain  in heaven. Following their terror attack in Mumbai, Hakim and Bilal are surprised to not end up in the arms of beautiful virgin, but in a hospital where their ghosts watch an autopsy being performed on their bodies! ‘Bahattar Hoorain’ is a dark comedy that examines the real consequences of violent extremism and urges that every human life should be treated with dignity and respect.